Automatic pump attachment



Patented Nov. 8, 1927.

CHAR-LES F. DE CORSE. OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC PUMP ATTACHMENT.

Application filed February The present invention relates to deep well pump attachments, and pertains more particularly to devices for attaching the pump rods to the plunger.

It will be understood in the consideration of this invention that the usual deep well pump outt includes a string of tubinghaving a pump casing at the lower end, in which casing there is provided a reciprocal plunger.

lo The plunger is raised and lowered in its pumping action by means of a string of rods leading from the plunger to the sur- -face ofthe ground. In raising the plunger for inspection or repair, at the end of the rods, the plunger is apt to be marred in being pulled through the tubing. Likewise in lowering'the plunger again it may become damaged, and it is dillicult to properly assemblethe plunger in the casing under such conditions.

Therefore, when such outiits were first put into general use, a demand was created for a device which would partially or completely obviate such difficulties. This demand was partially met by sundry devices which permitted of lowering the plunger in assembly with the jacket, at the end of the tubing, and then subsequently lowering the rods; Said devices automatically attach i0 the rods to the plunger when properly lowered, but do not ordinarily provide for disengagement of same except above the ground. Such devices have been improved upon to some extent so that they may be disengaged by backing o, or unscrewing the rods, but this procedure is impractical in the case oit long strings ol rods. Many rod strings are over Jfour thousand feet in length.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a. practical device for both attaching and detaching the rods and plunger without removing the plunger from the casm nother object of the invention is to provide for using a plunger which is of larger diameter than the inside diameter of the tubing. whereby production may be in- Y creased in the case of a given size oftubing. 'l0 Another object is to provide tor disengaging the rods from the plunger temporarily in case it is desired to agitate the Huid in the tubing without operating the plunger.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment of the class described which sill. permit of the weight of the rude' 9, 1926. Serial No. 86,970.

forcing the plunger downwardly without disconnect-ion of t-he plunger and rods.

In carrying out my invention I provide means carried by the pump and interlocking means carried by the plunger whereby the rods are moved downward until said means interlock. The rod string is raised slightly so that the weight of the plunger is caried by the rods. In order to again disengage the rods from the plunger, when desired, said means provide for disengagement by continuing downward movement of the rods and a quick upward movement. In order to prevent `disengagement accidentally, I provide for resisting rapid downward movement of the rods relative to the plunger, while permitting of slow downward movement ot the rods with regard to the plunger. Thus, in the space of time allowed for each down stroke of the plunger, the rods cannot become accidentally disengaged from the plunger, but when it is intended that the rods shall become disengaged, the full weight of the rods is caused to slowly move the rods relative to the plunger, so that they may become disengaged.

Various embodiments and combination of parts may be employed for carrying out my invention, and I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings one practical embodiment of my invention, which embodiment is described in the present specification, so that those skilled in the art will be enabled to carry out my invention.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section ot said embodiment, in normal pumping position.

Figure 2 is a similar view of a portion thereof showing the disposition of the parts just prior to disconnection et the rods and plunger.

Figure 3 is a view in elevation of the said embodiment; showing it attached to a pump plunger within a pump casing; the casing being shown in vertical section.

Figure 4 is a cross section on a line 4.--4

of Fig. 1.

More speciticallvQ indicates a tube having a bore 7 open at the upper end, as at 8, and closed at the lower end as at 9. At the lower end et the interior ot tube 6 a stem l0 rises a suitable distanceabove the closed portion 9. The interlocking means prof vided. consists ot inwardly b et integral spring' fingers 1l, carried bei the tube, and

PATENTy OFFICE.

vin Fig. 2.

piston.

amandrel 12, adapted to be attached to the pump rod 14, as by coupling 15.

The mandrel is provided with a head 16, having a shoulder 17 and a. pointed end 18,

movable to force the fingers apart and to asf sume the position shown in F 2. Said mandrel, at a point well above the head, carries a stop 19. Loosely fitted around the mandrel, there is provided a slidable ring 20, which cannot move below the head 16, or above the stop 19. The ring Vis so arranged that by lowering the rod, the. stop of themandrel will force the ring between the `fingers to hold themV spaced apart, .as shown Obviously, the interlocking of the vhead of .the mandrel and the ends ofthe fingers will provide for raising the plunger Qlfbythe rods. The tube f3 is provided with a threaded socket22a whereby it is screw threaded t0 a Case 22., Such as is commonly provided Vat :the top of deep well pump fplungers. lt will also be apparent that. by

dropping the pump rodl to force thering into position between the ngers, the mandrel may `be withdrawn from the tubing with* out interference on the part of the said fingers, particularly since the ring of larger dia-meter than the largest part ofthe head.`

, Vhile this Vdevice provides for attachment and detachment of the rods and plunger,.it

is not complete for the purpose in cases where the plunger does not drop as .fast as the rods descend. To prevent upward movement vof the mandrel with regard tothe tube, under normal pumpingV conditions, l provide a piston 25 fitting closely to the bore of the tube `und providinga practically fluid tight space .26, which decreases in volume as the piston is moved downwardly. The piston is provided :with an upwardly ranging stem 25" having a guide 25 at its upper end. Thisspaco, `in contormityvwith a salient feature of my invention, is filled with oil. or

other incompressible fluid, before the device is put into use. Said piston is of the spool type, providing an internal reservoir 2T; A non-return valve 28 is preferably provided betwecn'the space 26 and said reservoir 27, to allow fluid to pass readily from the reservoir into space 26, while preventing return flow. The nonreturn valve is placed in a flu-id course 281 provided centrally Vofthe This fluid course provides for flow ofl fluid from space 27 to space 26 while the valve prevents `return flow 'through such cou-rse. The course opens into space ,27 at ports 28' provided in stem 25". A small bypass `duct Q9 is `provided so that fluid may slip from space 26 to space 27 only very slowly so that the piston can descend only at a. very slow rate.

A spring 30 below the piston, urges the piston constantly upwardly. rlhus the piston `is held up against the pointed end of the bead 0f the mandrel to hold .the shoulder tween the fingers.

thereof in abutment with the spring fingers,

soas to reduce lost motion to a minimum.

The operation and advantages of the device, and the novelty and usefulness of my invention will be more apparent from the following :f-n Fig. 3, l have shown Ithe tubu ing 32, the pump casing 33 at the end of the tubing, and `the plunger assembled within the casing. ln this case the plunger is so large that it cannot be moved up through the tubing. At the lower end of the pump casing lthere is shown a shoulder 33a to represent any usual member within a pump casing which limits descentvot the plunger.

the. tube V6 above the piston, with ja strong spring 3G between the element 3.5 and the piston. Stops 3T and 38, respectively, on

vmembers 25 and 35, respectively, are arrangedto abut before the spring `36 is compressed unduly. The plunger then descends, allowing the spring fingers to snap into place, and the spring 3G then returns `the element B5 and holds the mandrel head in place. LDuring the slight interval that the spring ,5,6

presses downen the piston, said ypiston is i prevented Vfrom moving, appreciably, be-

cause ofthe incompressible ymass of lfluid e Spring 3,6 shouldbe strong enough Vto force the plunger down, on its .down

below it.

stroke, without being compressed itself. Duringeach up stroke of the rods, the pump plunger is lifted by coaction of the mandrel head and `the` spring lingers. During each down stroke, the thrust oil' the rods is ii'npari#r ed to the plunger through the incompressible body of fluid below the piston. 'During each down stroke, very little, if any, fluid will lellr from the space 426 to the reservoir 2T, but1 if it shouldQtlie spring under thc piston 711i soon as the weight of the rods is taken oli' of the said piston; said fluid returningasily through the non-return valve.

lllhen it is :desired to disconnect the rods from the plunger, the weight of the rods, `or a part of the weight of the rods, is allowed to come upon the piston, with the `plunger dropped down into the pump casing `as far as shoulder 83a. Slowly, the fluid in the space below the piston` will leali out into the reservoir by escaping around the piStOll. `After a lapse of a minute or so, the lower end of the piston strikes the member 10 at the end of the ytube and the piston can go no farther. By this time the stop on the mandrel has forced the loose ring ,into position bes NOW the rods are aised until the` shoulder on the mandrel. strikes the return the piston to normal position .as

lll)

ring. The ring begins to ascend with the rods, through the fingers. Just as the fingers snap from the ring into the conical head of the mandrel, the said mandrel may be drawn above the lingers without interengagement of the fingers and the shoulder. The rods are noiv free to be raised without the plunger.

It will be apparent now that I have provided a practical device 'for carrying out the objects of my invention, and while I have shown and described only one embodiment of my invention, numerous other embodiments will suggest themselves to the minds of those skilled in the art after they have read the foregoing, therefore I do not limit myself to any specific embodiment` except within the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a device of the class described, interlocking members movable relative to each other in one direction for disengagement: said members arranged to interlock when moved relatively in the other direction, a cylinder carried by one of said members, a piston movable by the other of said members; said piston and cylinder coacting to provide a 'fluid space which decreases in volume when the members are moved for disengagement, and a. non-return valve between said piston and said cylinder permitting flow of fluid into said space when the said members are moved in the direction for interlocking.

2. In combination with a` pump and rod attachment having relatively movable parts movable relatively in one direction for disengagement and movable relatively in the otherl direction i'or interengagement, and a piston and cylinder providing an oil space resisting rapid disengaging movement of' said parts.

3. In a device ot the class described, a pair of interlocking members movable toward each other for disengagement, and means for preventing rapid disengaging movement of the members, while permitting relatively slow disengaging movement.

4. In combination with a pump plunger. a pump cylinder and a valve coacting to lift Huid on one stroke whereby the plunger ot'- fers maximum load on its lip-stroke, a rod for lifting said plunger, a rod-to-plunger attachment between said rod and plunger permitting of disengagement of the rod and plunger by downward movement of the rod with regard to the plunger; and means permitting of slow movement of the rod toward the plunger while substantially resisting rapid movement of the rod with regard to the plunger.

5. In a pump and rod attachment of the class described, a tube. inwardly project-ing latches to said tube, a mandrel movable downwardly in said tube to pass said latches; said rod provided with a shoulder arranged to interlock with the latches normally preventing upward movement of said mandrel relative to said tube, a traveling member loosely fitted on said rod above said shoulder, and a stop for limiting upward movement ot' said traveling member with regard to said mandrel; said member movable to position between said latches to prevent interengagement of the latches and the shoulder of the mandrel whereby said mandrel may be moved upwardly beyond said latches when said traveling member is between the latches.

6. An attachment as in claim 5 and further including; means for resisting rapid downward movement of said mandrel with regard to said tube while permitting of slow downward movement of said mandrel with regard to said tube.

7. In a device of the class described, a tube having inwardly bowed spring fingers, a mandrel provided with a head movable downwardly through said tube past said fingers; said fingers normally preventing such return movement, and means whereby further continued descent of said mandrel will render said fingers ineffective in preventing return movement of said mandrel.

8. A device as in claim 7 and further including; means preventing rapid downward movement ot1 said mandrel in said tube; said means permitting of slow downward movement in said tube.

9. In a device of the class described, a pair of' interlocking members relatively movable in one direction for disengagement and relatively movable in another direction foi inter-engagementand hydraulic means for preventing rapid movement while permitting of slow movement in one such direction.

CHARLES F. DE CORSE.

Htl 

